Nortriptyline mixed with an antiseizure drug, (typically it is gabapentin, however)...seems to work better than either drug alone. There have been studies on this issue.

This is good that things are improving. Keep up the good work.

and it's back......

Oh well... still it might be at a reduced frequency. Now is the time to log what you ate Sunday, or activities done, or if you washed your hair, or whatever. (PN never goes completely away, but with patients' participation, lessening symptoms, is an attainable goal.)

There was a segment on Sanjay Gupta, CNN Sunday about a plastic surgeon who does a specific nerve release surgery for
those with chronic migraine or head pain.
While it is not yet 100% effective, it did reduce frequency significantly for some patients.

I am not saying you should have this, but look at the video and
where they did this nerve release ...on the trigger areas. These may correspond similarly for you...

I am not saying this is your problem....but it is interesting to see
the video because of the placement of the surgery to release entrapped nerves. (the upper cervical neck and the forehead).

http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/...raine-surgery/

And it's back.....

Reply - Nov. 26th
After seeing the migraine neurologist.
I was told to keep the tegretrol at 600 a day (which is good because when I pushed it to 900 I was yawning while I was teaching - 600 is a good level for me)
I got a magnesium "shot" and those are amazing, you feel warm, or hot all over - I wonder if this is an indication of it being needed ?
I was also told to take "slo mag" which you also had recommended.
and.....take 10mg nortrypilan in the evening, not at night and not in the morning - stay with it and try to increase in a few months (I've tried so many times to increase this and wound up feeling "goofy" and mean, at times my throat gets tight and it's hard to talk)
It was a good appointment.
I have had very minimal pain of my scalp for a week now, and this is after some incredible pain attacks over the past few months.
thanks for your help

It is slow going with nerve repair and reducing nerve pain.
It does require alot from you as well. So just take one day at a time.

Keep in mind that magnesium from oral sources can only go where the blood supply is open. If there are constrictive forces causing your pain (called ischemic pain) in the tiny vessels, then the magnesium can't get to where it needs to be. Using the lotion on your neck may help with those issues.

Watch for your triggers... if you can ID those, you can change things that way also.

Keep up the good work.

Neurontin buildup.....last night I flet like i was boiling from the inside.....
something is not wqorking and I really suspect that it's my body's recation to Nortryptian...

I know I'm not the only one here who has these issues with doctors and meds and pain,,,,byt this really does get a person discouraged,,,,
Thanksgiving day and i'm going back to sleep at 2:00pm

Are you taking both Neurontin and Tegretol?

Tegretol can cause a sudden loss of sodium, called hyponaturemia.
This results in confusion and other symptoms.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hyp...CTION=symptoms

Mild forms of this are hard to detect, but when it happens it is usually suddenly.

If you continue to feel awful you need to contact a doctor, ER, or urgent care ASAP.

Tegretol is well known for causing this.

My mistake, I was pretty groggy when I wrote the last post.
I'm not taking neurontin. I tried Nortriptyline again and just can't take it. I really think it was ganging up with Tegretrol (they are chemically so similar)
so....what I've done is added on Tegretrol to my daily regimen.
2 in the morning, to around dinner time and three at night.
I'm also taking melatonin before bed (on the advice of my neurologist.)
I have to get the levels of Tegretrol checked in two weeks.
I feel so much better when not taking Nortriptyline.
I have also added "Slo-Mag" to the daily mix...
So far, about a week and I haven't had any major outbursts of stabbing pain in my scalp!

From Dec 19th to 23 i was in the hospital having back surgery.
up until today I have had absolutely none of the sharp pin like pain all over (random) my scalp.
Today it came back
As I have mentioned before, migraine specialists and one neurologist have either alluded to "cluster. or ice pick" headaches and prescribed nortriptyline.
my body just won't tolerate it, and I have tried over and over.
I am now on 800mg of tegretol for two uses 1. mood control and 2. hopefully addressing this scalp pain.
I'd like to know if I have a trigeminal or occipital neuralgia, or any neuralgias at all.
I have a new general practitioner who I'm going to see on Monday Jan 2oth.
I want to review that these symptoms started after a bicycle accident three months after I broke my jaw.
That for a year they were treated as dermatological, steroid shots, topical steroid solution, steroid shampoo, Nizoral 2% Shampoo.
After aboiut a year, the dermotologist recommended that I see a pain management person who in turn sent me to the migraine person

At this popint I want to know (since 2008) what I am suffering from!